Rating: 
Summary: pacey and ingenious
Review: Snow crash is certainly not short on ideas, the franchised earth is a great thought, especially when the franchises include the mafia and the US govt, and no law.
The visions of the near future are indeed pretty horrific, and theres some pretty hardcore weaponry and technology, Hiros unstable nucleur chain gun has too take some beating.
The opening is superb, and the book is well established in the first chapter, allowing for the then constant onslaught of ideas.
The only real downside was the slightly overdone library references, the links to sumerian myths could have been chopped down a lot, the depth just wasnt needed and slowed down the story, ill admit to skipping huge swathes of these explanations.
It certainly reminds me of the William Gibson stuff, although since its over ten years since a read them, its a little hard to say why.
Rating: 
Summary: Another View of the Cyber World.
Review: Finally, someone with a different view of the cyber world. I enjoy Gibson but it seems that a lot of writers are into doing KNOCK-OFFs. This one is a KNOCK-OUT and not a knock-off.This is a good read.
Rating:
Summary: The 'Web' before most people had an Internet connection
Review: 'Snow Crash', written before most people even had an Internet connection, represents a fascinating vision of the connected world. This book is a classic among technology enthusiasts and is recommended reading for everyone involved in the information technology industry. More generally, anyone involved in an industry that is dependant upon timely and accurate information and data stands to benefit from the perspective offered by this book. Mr. Stephenson showcases his unique ability to, through the voice of fiction, bring complex and futuristic topics into focus for the general public. I highly recommend this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Vision, out-of-the-boss thinking and extreme creativity.
Rating:
Summary: Past, present and future collide
Review: Rarely do you get to see a book mix technology with history, archeology, science, psychology and pop-culture in such a brilliantly rendered vision. This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciate well reseached writing. It connects modern computer engineering with ancient mythology and history, and brings together characters of such diverse standing that it all seems nearly impossible. This book could be considered a modern epic. It seems like a high acolade, but it contains some very interesting insights into our own current cultures as well as a highly relevant "what-if" look into the near future. The use on language, names, plot and characterization is bleded into a truly amazing story. I would love to see the author attempt the original visual format of this work, all the advances in technology may now make it easier than the period of 88-91 in which it was written.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating if you're willing to think....
Review: Simply fascinating. Stephenson re-thinks the biblical fable of Babel as fact, and in the process explains a great deal. The mystery of liguistic viruses- the idea that religion, or indeed any complex thought, is capable of being spread from person to person as if a viral infection and mutating much like we now understand viruses to do - truly fascinating. Action sequences that will please any fan, ideas presented within the context of the metaverse, or next generation avatar-based web, and a true sociological examination of contemporary religion make this a book i re-read over and over.
Rating:
Summary: A wild ride into the world of Cyberpunk
Review: What can one say about a cyberpunk classic like this one? Surely most fans of the cyberpunk genre will have already read (and loved) this seminal work, but plenty of surprises await those who are just discovering this peculiar sub-genre. In a not-too-distant future, Snow Crash is a mysterious newly-emerging virus (does it affect people or their computers? What's the difference?) It's the story of how a racially diverse everyman named Hiro Protagonist and his feisty young (15!) girlfriend Y.T. have to save the world from a nefarious plot to enslave all humanity. And who do they turn to for help, but the Mafia? This book is wild, hip, intelligent, sprawling, darkly comic, and a deliberate jibe at many of our culture's basic values (religion, work ethic, etc...). It's a highly detailed futuristic sci-fi adventure into epistemology, virtual reality, Oriental sword fighting, and of course, skateboarding. Bizarre characters inhabiting bizarre cultures in two very bizarre worlds (real and virtual) lead readers through an unforgettable adventure, filled with action, fun, and sardonic silliness. The modest levels of sex and violence are handled with such breezy unreality that there's no shock value to upset more fastidious readers, although younger teens may find this book too long for their liking. Some sections seem to move pretty slowly (Hiro's researches, for example), but there's so much to love about Shepherdson's 21st Century America that most readers will surely want to wade through this tome's 500-plus pages more than once.
Rating:
Summary: "5th Element" meets "The Matrix"
Review: Stephenson crafts a rich futuristic world in Snow Crash, one that reminds me of two movies. With its lawless society governed by large corporations and independent country-like "burbclaves" like "Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong", the book has a definite "5th Element" feel to it. It is in this world that the book's main character, aptly christened Hiro Protagonist, is living in a U-Store-It locker and delivering pizzas for the mafia. When a pizza delivery goes bad, he meets up with his foil, the attractive teenage girl "Y.T.", who is a Kourier (a delivery person of the future, who uses her "magnapoon" to latch onto and surf behind cars). The book takes a decidedly "Matrix" bent, however, when the Metaverse is introduced - it's essentially a virtual reality version of the Internet on steroids (although the world wide web did not exist when Stephenson wrote this book, many of his terms have been adopted today in the real world, most notably "avatar"). Hiro Protagonist is one of the masters of this world, a hacker who helped create it in its early days. The sci-fi plot turns into a mystery novel when a new virus inside the metaverse starts infecting people in the real world. In unraveling the mystery, you will be subjected to a delightful array of innovative creations, ranging from the Rat Things to the dentata, that will have you longing for more!
Rating:
Summary: You might like this book if...
Review: Do you like Sci-Fi books? Do you like computers? Are you a fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, X-Files etc...? Is your favorite TV station the Sci-Fi Channel? Do you prefer e-mail over face-to-face conversation? Do you often use acronyms when speaking to others? Do you spend hours in on-line chat rooms and/or playing video games? Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons? If you answered yes to these questions, you've probably already read this book. If you haven't, by all means read it - this book is for you. While low on serious plot, this book is none the less very entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Fun read
Review: If you like fiction book about virtual reality this is a must read!
IMHO must better than Diamond Age.
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